A Rick and Michonne story
by brennalovestowrite
Summary: After every storm there is a rainbow. Will Michonne be Rick's rainbow? Friendship, family, love, lust, and complications. And a baby? Rated M for later chapters ;)
1. Hey, Michonne

"Hey Michonne, wait up" I started running towards Michonne, feeling my legs go weak. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ I kept running towards her and didn't stop despite how I was feeling. My head was hurting, my legs felt weak, and I felt nauseous. If I didn't know any better I'd think I was getting sick. _How could I be sick? Unless I caught a zombie-flu,_ I laughed at the thought.

"Hey yourself. You ok? You don't look so good."

 _Damn, she can always tell when something is wrong._ Michonne had become a valued member of the group ever since she showed up at the prison. She was always looking out for everyone, especially Carl. Carl and Michonne had become close, very close. He always told Michonne when something was wrong or asked for her opinion on certain things. She had become more than just a member of the group, she had become family too.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I wanted to ask you what you thought of Deanna?"

Michonne raised her eyebrow at me, not believing me when I said I was fine. She kept staring at me for a moment, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. After a few moments, she finally realized I had asked her a question.

"I think Deanna is good, this place is good. She asked me questions and I gave her answers."

"I don't like not having my gun on me."

The thought of my gun being locked up in the armory made me angry. _How dare she take away my gun, I need to be able to protect my kids and everyone else._ There must be a way to get my gun back, I need to talk her into letting me have it.

"I still have my sword on me, don't worry."

She smiled after she mentioned her sword, trying to reassure me that we're still safe. Despite her efforts, I still don't feel safe. I don't think this place is safe even if we are surrounded by walls. There is always a way for people to get in or for walkers to get in. _Damn I wish I had my gun on me._

"We better head back to the house and check up on everyone else."

Michonne nodded her head in agreement with me. I started walking back to the houses with her in silence. Even though we were given two houses, everyone wanted to stay in one. The thought of being separated when we've been together for months didn't feel right. Everyone agreed to sleep in the living room for a while. Abraham had told everyone how staying together would make it easier to leave Alexandria in case of an emergency. It was sad but it was true, no one trusted Alexandria yet and it would take a while before anyone could. After everything the group has been through we're all lucky to be alive, well, some of us are lucky to be alive. I cringed as I thought of Beth being shot by Dawn. The scene kept replaying in my head ever since it happened.

"I wonder if they have any peanut butter here" Michonne questioned out loud, interrupting my sad thoughts about Beth.

I looked at her a laughed. _Peanut butter. What a random thing to be thinking about._ Michonne always said the right things. She must have known I was deep in thought by my silence.

"Peanut butter" I said with a chuckle.

I started walking up the stairs to the house and felt my right leg almost give out. I cursed silently, but not silently enough for Michonne not to hear me. She caught up to me as I reached the top of the stairs, standing directly in front of me. She placed her hand over the door knob, stopping me from going in. I knew she was going to say something to me, but I wasn't sure what. She wasn't easy to read.

"I think this place is going to be good for us" She paused and gave me a reassuring look. "I know this place is going to be good for us. I know it."

I nodded at her in appreciation for her positivity. She took her hand off the door knob and I knew she had told me what she wanted to. I paused for a moment before going inside, thinking about what she had just said to me. _I hope this place is good for all of us._

* * *

I kissed Judith on the head and placed her in the playpen Deanna had given me. I felt grateful Judith had an actual bed to sleep in tonight, rather than the cold ground she had become accustom to. Sleeping on something other than the ground would be an adjustment for all of us, myself included. I walked over to my pillow and blanket on the living room floor, losing my balance and falling over. _Shit._

"What the hell!" Screamed whoever I had fallen on.

"Sorry Maggie, I guess I tripped."

She shook her head at me and turned back over towards Glenn. Even though it was dark I still felt everyone's eyes on me. Now everyone was awake due to Maggie's loud scream. I rubbed my throbbing head, continuing to walk towards my pillow and blanket. I finally got down on the ground, resting my head on the pillow. My head continued to throb and my legs still felt weak. I pulled the blanket up towards my face, hoping sleep would help me feel better.

"Rick, what the hell is going on with you?" A voice whispered.

I turned my head to the side, realizing I was sleeping right next to Michonne. I felt a pang of relief run through me as I realized this. In case I needed a weapon in the middle of the night I could grab Michonne's.

"Nothing. Just feeling off tonight" I whispered back.

"Off? What do you mean off?" She whispered back.

What did I mean by off? I didn't even know. All I knew was that I felt _off._

"I think everything is catching up with me. We've all been through a lot the last few months" I sighed.

"Get some sleep, Grimes" She whispered and turned over.

We had all been through a lot in the past few months. From not having water, food, or shelter some nights to losing part of our group. I started thinking about Beth again. She always knew how to make Judith stop crying when she was fussy. I closed my eyes, my endless thoughts still running through my mind. The memories and the realization of _what happened during the past few months_ just wouldn't go away. Maybe this was my way of processing everything, I'm sure that's why I've been feeling sick today. I shrugged off the thought and dozed off.

* * *

"Dad, wake up. It's 12 in the afternoon" Carl said as he started shaking me awake.

I squinted from the bright sun light which was peeping through the windows. I looked up at Carl who was chewing something in his mouth as he shook me awake. I looked around the room seeing Daryl and Carol eating, Rosita and Abraham snuggled up to each other in the corner, and Michonne holding Judith. _Where is everyone else?_ I rubbed my eyes and started to sit up, immediately realizing it was a mistake. The throbbing of my head immediately started and a pang of nausea ran through my body. I quickly realized the nausea was turning into something more. I quickly stood up, losing my balance which was regained by Carl grabbing onto my arm. He gave me a confused look as he held onto my arm. I ran to the bathroom and stayed there for a while. I suddenly heard a knock at the door.

"Hey dad, you ok?" Carl asked through the door.

I didn't even know how to respond to that question. I was just violently ill for the past ten minutes and I now felt like someone had hit me in the head. Not wanting to worry Carl, I lied.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said as I opened the door.

Carl looked me up and down not believing a word I had just said. He shook his head and started walking back towards the living room. I slowly followed behind him, rubbing my hand across my head. Feeling Michonne's gaze burn through me like a hot fire, I glanced over at her and weakly smiled.

"Come sit down" She said as she looked at the seat next to her.

I walked towards her and sat down as she suggested. She looked concerned as she held Judith. Judith was tugging on her hair and drooling all over her top, which didn't even seem to bother Michonne. I stuck my hand out towards Judith, watching her immediately grab onto my fingers. She grabbed my fingers and started moving my hand up and down, using my hand as her new toy. I looked up at Michonne, smiling at her. I really appreciate the way Michonne takes care of Judith like she's her own daughter. The thought of Judith having Michonne as a mother figure made me smile. My heart always hurt when I thought about her growing up without a mother.

"You want something to eat?" Michonne asked, once again interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'll get up a grab a plate. I didn't realize I slept until 12 in the afternoon."

I quickly stood up, forgetting the dizziness which plagued me and how weak my legs had been feeling. The moment I stood up everything started to go black. I heard someone yell my name as I fell to the ground, unconscious and dead to the world.


	2. I love you

"Rick!" I yelled his name as I watched him fall to the ground. One minute he was fine and the next minute he was falling to the ground. I knew I couldn't grab him since I had Judith in my arms. The feeling of helplessness took over. Daryl and Abraham ran over towards rick and started picking him up off the ground.

"Take him over to the infirmary, now!" I yelled towards Abraham and Daryl.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Daryl asked.

Abraham shrugged his shoulders at Daryl's question as they walked out of the house towards the infirmary. I looked over at Rosita and Carol who both looked concerned. _Where's Carl?_ I quickly turned around and realized he was standing right behind me in complete silence. Silence and Carl didn't go together, he usually always had something to say. He looked concerned which was surprising. He was always positive when his dad went off on runs, what was different now?

"What's wrong with my dad?" Carl asked me.

"I don't know what's wrong with him, but I know he's going to be fine." I looked at him and smiled.

Carl reached his hand out towards Judith, rubbing his hand over her hair. She started cooing and reaching for Carl, wanting to be held by her big brother.

"Yesterday my dad told me he met this woman named Jessie" He said. "My dad said she has a son who's my age and he wants to meet me. I guess I'll head over there now" He started walking towards the door as he finished his sentence.

"Carl, hold on" I said to him and started walking towards him. "Don't you want to stick around and see how your dad is doing?"

He turned around from where he was standing from the door and paused before answering me. "No, I already had to watch my mom die. I don't want to watch my dad die too."

"Carl-"

"I'll be home later" He opened the door and walked outside, not looking back.

I couldn't believe he had just walked out like that without wanting to see his dad. Did he really think his dad was going to die? _His dad wasn't going to die. Was he?_

"I know Rick is going to be fine, but I understand why Carl is worried" Carol said as she took Judith from my arms.

"Rick isn't going to die, I don't know why Carl would think that."

"He's lost a lot of people Michonne, it's understandable why he thinks his dad won't make it" Sadness appeared in Carol's eyes as she thought about the people they've lost. "Shane, Lori, Beth, Sophia…" Carol went silent after saying Sophia's name.

I nodded my head in agreement with Carol even though I didn't agree with her opinion. I knew Carl had lost people he cared about, but his dad is probably just exhausted. There is no need for him to jump to the conclusion of death. I watched Carol start to prepare lunch for Judith. She got extremely fussy when she wasn't fed when she wanted to be.

"I'm going to go check on Rick. Anyone need anything while I'm out?" I asked as I walked towards the door.

"I think we're good" Rosita replied.

"See you later" I said as I walked out of the front door.

Walking through a door of any type seemed weird. The journey towards Washington had taken a long time. The group had slept on the side of the road and sometimes in abandoned sheds, very rarely a house. Having a door to walk through was a nice feeling. I started walking towards the infirmary wondering how Rick was doing. Every part of me hoped he would be ok, he had to be ok. Carl would be devastated if something happened to his dad. _I wonder what Carl is doing right now? I hope he's doing ok._ I walked up the steps towards the infirmary and quietly knocked on the door, hoping I wouldn't wake anyone up. A man with reddish blonde hair opened the door and looked me up and down. The way he looked at me gave me chills. I didn't understand why he kept looking at me like that. "Hi, I'm Pete" He extended his arm and held out his hand for me to shake.

"Hi, I'm here to check on Rick, Rick Grimes" I decided not to shake his hand after the way he was staring at me. I didn't get a good feel from him.

"And who are you?"

"Michonne. Can you let me in?" I felt impatient as I stood by the door waiting to be let inside.

"Oh yeah, of course" He pushed the door fully open. "Rick is right over here in this bed" He started walking towards where Rick was.

I followed behind Pete, looking around at the infirmary. It seemed to be fully stocked which gave me a good feeling. Knowing there was a place where lives could be saved was reassuring, especially since people were bit by walkers often. "What's wrong with him?" I asked. "He passed out earlier."

"Well, it seems Rick is extremely dehydrated" He looked down at Rick as he spoke. "That's why he passed out."

"Will he be ok? I've probably been dehydrated for months and I never passed out" I looked down at Rick who was sleeping. My eyes wandered to his arm which had an IV attached to it.

"He'll be fine, he just needs fluids. There is a difference between extreme dehydration and hydration" He said with a smirk.

Pete turned around and walked towards a table with a book on it. I turned around and searched the room for a chair. I spotted one on the other side of the room and started walking towards it.

"Well, I'm gonna head home and grab some lunch, I'll be back in a little while" He walked out of the door and closed it behind him.

I placed the chair in front of Rick's bed and sat down on it. I looked at Rick who was still asleep. In all the time I've spent with the group I've never seen Rick look as peaceful as he does right now. He is always on high alert, constantly looking for a threat. Sometimes I feel like all he can see are threats. He doesn't trust this place, I could see it in his eyes yesterday when he mentioned not having his gun. _Will he ever trust this place?_ I'm not even sure I trust this place, but I know this place is going to be good for all of us.

"H-h-hey" Rick mumbled quietly.

I stood up and watched as he opened his sleepy eyes. "Hey yourself."

"How are Judith and Carl doing? They alright?" His voice sounding weak as he spoke.

"Yeah, they're alright. They miss you" I smiled down at him. He seemed fine for someone who was extremely dehydrated. I shook my head at the thought of what Pete had told me.

Rick started reaching his hand out towards me. _Did he want me to hold his hand or did he want something to drink?_ I wasn't sure what he wanted. I went with my instinct and grabbed onto his hand. He smiled as our hands made contact, causing me to smile back at him. I guess he did want me to hold his hand.

"I-I-I'm sorry, for everything" He said weakly as he kept ahold of my hand.

"What? What are you sorry for? You've done nothing wrong" I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling confused. _Why is he apologizing to me?_

"I-Im just sorry, I did everything wrong" He sighed and kept his eyes locked on mine. "I d-d-don't know if we'll make it in this fucked up world" He looked defeated as he finished his sentence.

"I know we'll make it in this fucked up world. I know it" I tried to be as reassuring as possible, seeing Rick Grimes and his negative attitude was scary. He was always positive no matter what.

"I-I-I…" He started dry coughing, not finishing his sentence.

"You need some water, Grimes." I let go of his hand and turned around facing the nightstand next to his bed. My eyes immediately found a pitcher of water. I started pouring water into a glass for him. "Here" I said as I turned back around towards him. "Have some water" I brought the glass towards his mouth and helped him take a drink. He still seemed so weak despite being fully aware that I was here. He nodded his head and smiled as I placed the glass of water back on the nightstand.

"T-T-thanks for still helping me despite what an ass I've been lately" He coughed again as he finished his sentence.

"Grimes, you haven't been as ass to me or anyone else lately."

He reached for my hand once again. I grabbed onto his hand and squeezed tightly. The moment our skin made contact I felt my heart start to beat faster. _Why am I feeling this way? Does he feel this way to?_ I started to wonder why my heart was racing as I held his hand. I couldn't have feelings for him or could I.

"Hey" He paused as his eyes started to get heavy. "Y-you know I love you, right?"

It had been a while since I had been at a loss for words, but in this moment I didn't know what to say. I of course love his kids. Carl and I have started becoming closer over the last few months. He always tells me what's on his mind. I hold Judith whenever Rick or Carl asks me to. I wasn't able to hold her in the beginning because the pain of losing Andre was too fresh. Every time I would see Judith I would be reminded of my Andre. Now I know Andre would want me to love another child just as much as I loved him. I love Rick's kids, and I love Rick too. Carl and Rick both made fitting into the group easier for me. They were both so welcoming, especially Carl. He immediately got attached to me. Rick always had my back and I always had his. He always relied on me during tough situations and I did the same for him. He knew I always had his back no matter what, even if we disagreed on something. _I love Rick Grimes._ Rick started speaking again which caught me off guard.

"I-I-I really do love you" He smiled as he spoke. "I love you L-" He started coughing once again which stopped him from completing his sentence.

I took a deep breath and decided I would tell Rick how I felt. I could be dead tomorrow, hell, we all could be dead tomorrow. There's no point in waiting to tell him how I feel.

"Rick, I love you too" I smiled, feeling emotional. "After everything we've been through, I know I love you too."

"We have been through a lot" He said with sleepy eyes. "But I know no matter what else happens, we will get through this Lori" Just as he finished his sentence he passed out.

 _Lori? Why did he just call me Lori?_ His entire body went weak, including his arm which was extended up and holding onto my hand. I watched as his arm landed on the pillow behind his hand. Just as I was about to try to wake him up, I heard the door open behind me. I turned around and saw Pete who was holding a bag in his hand.

"Figured I'd bring lunch back here, didn't wanna be gone for too long" He shrugged as he closed the door behind him. "How's Rick? He wake up?" He asked.

I nodded my head at what he was saying. "Yeah, Rick woke up." I sighed.

Pete started walking towards the bed and looked down at Rick who was now asleep. "Was he awake for long?" He questioned.

"Yeah, maybe 10 minutes." I looked down at Rick, still feeling confused by what he said.

"He hallucinating at all when he woke up?" Pete turned around and walked towards the table where he set down his bag of lunch.

Hallucinating. The word started to process in my mind, Rick was hallucinating. He thought I was Lori, which makes sense now. No wonder he was telling me he loved me, he was seeing Lori the entire time.

"Yeah, he was hallucinating" I turned around and started walking towards the door. "I'll be back later" I opened the door and closed it behind me.


	3. Lucky to be alive

Thank you all for the views, reviews, and follows! I really appreciate the kind words which have been said about my story 😊 I love writing and can't wait to continue writing this story. Leave a review and tell me what you like about the story, what you want to see happen in the future, and any ideas of how to improve my story! I'd appreciate any positive feedback (no negativity 😊) thank you.

* * *

After being gone all day I was finally able to sit down and think about everything. _But what really was there to think about?_ Judith started squirming in my arms, wanting to get down on the porch and explore. It was amazing being able to watch Judith go from a helpless baby to a baby who never stopped moving. If Judith wasn't crawling she was pulling herself up on the couch or having Carl help her. Looking down at her sitting on my lap I felt lucky to have her in my life. Having Judith in my life made me realize I was able to love another baby again, just as much as I loved Andre. Rick's entire family had become my family too.

"Bah-bah dah-dah" Judith started attempting to talk as she tried to escape from my arms.

"Ok, ok, I'll let you crawl around" I laughed as I set her down on the porch next to me.

Judith started power-crawling over towards the railing on the porch. I watched as she pulled herself up into a standing position while holding onto the railing. She started attempting to jump up and down as she held onto the railing. I could tell she was proud of herself. I smiled and turned my attention to the sunset right in front of me. The sky was a beautiful orange and yellow color as the sun started to set. _Could it get any better than this?_ Houses, food, water, showers, and safety. No, it _couldn't_ get any better than this. I had kept busy all day by looking around Alexandria, checking out the walls, and meeting some new people. I tried my best to keep my mind off of what happened in the infirmary with Rick. I felt my cheeks start to flush as I thought about it. Rick thought I was Lori, that's why he told me he loved me. I was silly to think he has feelings for me. _I was just caught up in the moment when he said he loves me, I don't actually love him, do I?_

"Hey Michonne" Carl said as he approached the house.

"Hey Carl" I said as I watched Judith start crawling towards the sound of Carl's voice. She loved her brother very much even though she was only a baby. I watched as Carl picked up her and sat down next to me on the porch. Judith started reaching for Carl's hat, wanting to yank it off his head.

"Hey Judith" He laughed as she kept trying to grab his hat. "You're never going to reach it, you're too small."

"How was your day at Jessie's?" I asked.

"It was ok" He shrugged. I could tell he wasn't telling me something.

"Only ok?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow.

"Yeah" He paused for a few moments. "They act normal, too normal."

"Is being normal a bad thing" I laughed. He turned his head towards me and nodded his head.

"All they worry about is losing a game of pool or who will have the most kills in call of duty. They're weak" He had a serious look on his face now. I could tell he was bothered by their normalcy. "They've never used guns or have dealt with walkers. Well, Enid has."

"All that matters is how you're not weak Carl. You're one of the bravest kids I know" I put my arm around his shoulders and smiled. He smiled at me from the small gesture of my arm around him. "Now, who's Enid? You said she's killed walkers, that means she's not weak."

"Enid is this girl, Ron's girlfriend" He sighed. "I saw her climb over the wall today, I know she must go out there and kill walkers."

"Climb over the wall? How does she do that?"

"Not sure. I only saw her at the top of the wall before jumping over" He shrugged his shoulders and put Judith back down on the porch. She was getting antsy to crawl around again. "There you go Judith."

"She's brave" I said reassuringly to him. I didn't want him to think he was unsafe because of the people here. Just because people here are weak right now doesn't mean they can't become stronger. Carl needed to realize that.

"She doesn't like me. She wouldn't even talk to me today, I don't know why" He looked at me with a confused look on his face.

"Once she gets to know you I'm sure she'll like you. You never know what someone has gone through" My mind drifted off to thoughts about Andre. Carl is the only one who knows what I've gone through.

"No one knows what you've gone through, you lost your son" His words started to sink in.

"Yeah" Was all I could say. I turned my head away from Carl and looked at the gorgeous sky. The sky was the only thing in this world which was beautiful anymore.

"Hey, Michonne…"

"Yeah?" I started to wonder what he would say next. There was a moment of silence between us.

"You have us now, we're your new family" He suddenly wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. "I know we can't replace Andre but…you have me, dad, and Judith now" I started to feel tears form in my eyes from what Carl was saying. _Rick, Judith, and Carl are really my family now._ After a few moments Carl stopped hugging me and sat up straight on the porch.

"I miss my mom all the time, I used to talk to her about everything" His eyes wandered down towards his hands which were resting in his lap. "But I know I can always talk to you about anything too."

Tears started to form in my eyes again. The special relationship which I had built with Carl would last forever, the bond would never break. I started to realize just how lucky I really was.

"Are you trying to make me cry tonight?" I smiled and laughed at the same time. I watched as he laughed with me and nodded his head.

* * *

I woke up in a strange bed and a room I had never been in before. _Where the hell am I?_ I rubbed my hands over my eyes, rubbing away the blurriness. Looking around the room I saw a table, chairs, medicine, and more medicine. I guessed I was in the infirmary. I started to sit up in the bed but stopped when I felt a pull coming from my arm. My eyes wandered down to my arm which had an IV attached to it. Feeling suddenly frustrated by my restrained movement, I decided to lay back down. A few minutes later I heard footsteps coming from the other room. I saw a tall man with strawberry blonde hair approach my bed.

"How you feelin' Rick?" The man asked. He crossed his arms and paused for a moment before speaking again. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself did I. My name's Pete, Pete Anderson" He extended his arm out towards me, wanting to shake my hand.

 _Pete Anderson._ The name Anderson sounded familiar to me. I thought back to yesterday when I had met Jessie, Jessie Anderson. I started to make the connection that the beautiful blonde was Pete's wife. I extended my arm out towards Pete and shook his hand.

"Rick Grimes" I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I know who you are. Your friends brought you in here, Abraham and Daryl I think were their names" He paused. "Oh, and some girl came in here to check on you."

"Some girl?" I questioned, wondering if Jessie had stopped by. Even though I had just met Jessie and only spoke to her once, we had a strange connection. The way she had smiled at me surprised me. I hadn't had a woman smile at me like that since Lori. Even though Jessie and I had only talked about her boys meeting Carl, our connection was clear.

"I think her name was Michelle" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Michelle?" I asked, not knowing who he was talking about. "Oh, you mean Michonne" I laughed at the fact he had called her Michelle.

"Michonne was her name" He laughed.

"She ok?" I asked as I scooted up in the bed, shifting my body into a sitting position. I felt another tug coming from my arm as I moved in the bed.

"She seemed upset when she left out of here" He crossed his arms back over his chest. "She said you were hallucinating."

"Hallucinating?" I asked.

"Your friends brought you in here this morning and you were severely dehydrated. Severe dehydration can cause weakness, headache, fainting, and death."

"I thought I was just tired" I cringed at the thought of dying and leaving Judith and Carl on their own. I realized I needed to start taking better care of myself and stop only focusing on others. On the road I only cared about the group, I didn't care if I had food or water. It only mattered that everyone else got to eat.

"Get some rest man, you'll be out of here by tomorrow" He smiled and walked back out of the room. "Nice to officially meet you."

I shifted to a more comfortable position in the bed. Being able to sleep in a bed tonight felt like a luxury. It had been months since I was able to sleep comfortably. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, not a single thought in my mind tonight.


	4. I don't know what I'd do without you

Thank you all for 500+ views on my story! Can't wait to continue watching the views grow 😉 Also, thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Someone had mentioned I should change the pairing to #Richonne but I'm not sure how. Can anyone message me and tell me how? 😊 Continue to send me suggestions about what you'd like to see next. Hope you all are enjoying the story so far. I know I'm enjoying writing it! Rick and Michonne are the best, aren't they?

* * *

I woke up to the sun beaming through the window. I felt blinded by the bright light. Considering how bright it was, I assumed it was morning time. I looked around the room for a clock but I didn't see one, I cursed silently. My eyes wandered down towards my arm which had an IV in it yesterday. Pete must have removed the IV sometime this morning. I let out a sigh of relief, realizing how much better I was doing. If Pete removed the IV I must be clear to head back to the house. Pete must have heard me moving around in the bed because he quickly appeared from the other room. _What was he doing in there? He was in there yesterday too._

"Oh, it's just you" He laughed as he walked towards my bed. "I thought I heard someone coming in through the door."

"Yeah, it's just me" I laughed.

Pete walked over to where a pitcher of water was sitting. I watched as he poured the water in a glass and brought it over towards me. _I really need to start taking better care of myself if I want to be around for Judith and Carl._ I started thinking about how Pete had told me severe dehydration can sometimes result in death. _Death._ The word felt familiar, too familiar. After all the deaths the group and myself experienced death didn't seem as unfamiliar to me as it should. I knew I wasn't going to be the next one to die, especially not from dehydration. I wasn't planning on letting anyone else die either, we all have already lost too much.

"Here, drink this" Pete handed me the full glass of water. "You need to make sure you keep drinking enough water from now on. Don't want you being dragged back in here again by your friends anytime soon" Pete chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll make sure I keep drinking enough water" I took a sip of water from the glass. To my surprise the water wasn't warm, it was cold. "Feels nice having cold water."

"I bet it does" Pete took a step back and sat down in the chair next to the side of my bed. "What was it like out there?"

"A lot of walkers, people who wanted to kill us, a lot of death…" I set down the now empty glass of water on the table next to my bed. I shifted in the bed to a more comfortable position before answering the rest of Pete's question. "We lost a lot of people, good people" I sighed, remembering everyone we lost.

"Man, that must be rough" Pete seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Well, that's why I listened to Michonne. She's the one who told me to give this place a try" I smiled at the thought of how much of a positive influence she had on me. She always tried to get me and everyone else to see the best in things. "We need somewhere safe, we need a break. We've been out there for a long time, probably too long" I thought about all of the time we spent on the road walking towards Washington. The tiring hours, days, weeks, and months we spent running. Running from people and walkers. The night we spent looking for food and water but not being able to find any. The days Judith would cry for hours on end because she was hungry and had no food to eat. "I'm giving this place a chance, a real chance."

"Alexandria is a good place, you and your people will really like it here. We've been safe living here from the start of all this."

"I'm hoping it is a good place" I looked at him and nodded.

"You lose your wife out there during all of this?" He had a blank look on his face.

"Yeah, I did lose my wife" I thought about the moment Carl was carrying Judith in his arms and crying after losing Lori. "She died while giving birth to my daughter, Judith."

"I'm sorry about your wife" He said sympathetically. "I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to my Jessie"

 _My Jessie._ The tone he used when he said those words held a hidden meaning. The way he said the words "my Jessie" made it seem like he owned her, like she was his. "It's not something you ever want to experience" I looked at Pete with a straight face. I watched him shift uncomfortably in the chair and then stand up.

"Well, I think you're all good to go. You can get going home whenever you'd like."

I could tell I had made him uncomfortable when I said _it's not something you ever want to experience._ He had gone completely silent when I mentioned it. I nodded my head at him when he said I was good to go home. _Home._ Hadn't even thought about this place being home but something about the word felt right. Maybe Alexandria could become home. It would be nice to have someplace to call home again. I sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I leaned over and started to put my shoes on which were on the floor.

"See you later Rick" Pete smiled and walked off.

"See you later" I said as I stood up. It felt strange to stand up since I had been in the bed for an entire day. My entire body felt stiff which started causing things to pop. My back was the first thing to pop as I stood up. _Damn, I'm getting old._ I walked to the door, opening it. As I walked outside I started thinking about what Pete said about drinking water. I had to remember to drink water once I got home.

* * *

"Bah-bah nah-nah" Judith kept talking loudly as I rocked her in my arms. I walked towards the window as I held Judith in my arms. She was starting to drool all over herself as she continued to babble. I looked through the window and that's when I saw him walking down the street towards the house. Rick looked good for someone who was extremely dehydrated yesterday, he looked _really_ good. I blushed as I thought about just how good he looked. Sure I had seen him with his shirt off before but I thought nothing of it. Yesterday changed everything for me. Yesterday was the day I realized I loved Rick, or at least I thought I did. After he called me Lori I realized the feelings I _thought_ I had for him can't be real. Can they?

"Hey, my dad is home" Carl walked towards the now open door which Rick was standing in.

I watched as Rick hugged Carl. Clearly Rick had missed Carl even though it had only been a day since he had seen him. After my heart-to-heart with Carl last night I felt happy as I watched him hug his dad. Since Carl told me how much he missed his mom I couldn't imagine how he would react if something happened to his dad, he would be devastated. The whole group walked towards Rick and started hugging him. Rick started laughing at the way everyone was reacting to him being back.

"I'm alright, I'm alright" He smiled at everyone. "Pete, the doctor, told me I was just dehydrated and I needed to start drinking more."

"Drinking more alcohol?" Abraham laughed as he patted Rick on the shoulder.

"If he needs to start drinking more then I guess that means I do too" Daryl smirked at Rick's comment about needing to drink more.

"Me too" Rosita joined in on the joke.

"I guess drinking some alcohol won't hurt me" Rick laughed. "There's no better time to start than tonight" Everyone laughed and nodded at what Rick was saying. Everyone could use a drink after all we've been through in the past few months.

"Glad you're back, Grimes" I walked up to Rick, still holding Judith in my arms. She started reaching for her dad the minute she saw him. "Someone missed you."

"Come here, Judith" He smiled as he held the baby in his arms. She started putting her hands on his lips and nose. "I missed you."

"How you feeling?" I asked. Standing right in front of me he looked good. He didn't look pale or like he was going to pass out anymore.

"I feel good, I just need to make sure I drink enough" He winked at me and laughed. "How are you?"

I laughed at his comment about drinking. _I need a drink too, some red wine sounds good right about now._ "I'm fine, just glad you're ok. Carl was very worried about you."

He seemed surprised when I said how worried Carl was. Carl was extremely strong, one of the strongest kids I knew. He could take down walkers and bad people in order to protect the group. However, when it came to his dad he wasn't strong. I started to wonder if Rick realized how devastated he would be if something ever happened to his dad. "Very worried" I raised my eyebrows.

"I'll talk to him later. I'll be fine, I just need to start taking better care of myself."

"Well, you can start by shaving that beard off of your face" I smiled as I stared at his beard. He really did need to shave it.

"I'll take that into consideration. All I want to do right now is take a shower" He kissed Judith on the head and handed her back to me. She started reaching for me as Rick placed her in my arms. Ever since I started feeding her snacks she had become my best friend. "Can I talk to you later?"

"Yeah, everything ok?"

"Everything's fine" He said reassuringly. "I just think we should start making housing arrangements, we can't keep sleeping in the living room" He glanced over towards the living room which was filled with pillows and blankets.

"I agree with you on that" I thought about how uncomfortable the floor was last night. I cringed at the thought of spending another day sleeping on the hard floor.

"I was hoping you'd want to stay in a house with Carl, Judith, and me?"

I smiled at the thought of sharing a house with the Grimes. Nowadays I couldn't imagine not spending time with Carl, Judith, or Rick. They had become family to me. I felt my cheeks start to get hot, realizing I was blushing. I felt honored that Rick wanted me to live with them. "Of course, I wouldn't want it any other way."

Moments later Rick smiled and stepped closer towards me. At first I thought he was going to kiss me, but then I realized I was crazy for having such a thought. _Why would he want to kiss me? And why would he kiss me in front of everyone?_ Rick took one more step towards me and wrapped his arms around me. I smiled into his shoulder as he hugged me tightly. He moved his mouth towards my ear. I felt his lips lightly touch my ear, giving me chills. "Thank you for looking after Carl and Judith for me, I don't know what I'd do without you" He whispered.


	5. You have the most perfect smile

I checked on my story today and saw I had nearly 1,000 views! Thank you all so much for the views, reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story so far 😊 I know I haven't posted in 2 whole days. . . what?! I had been updating the story every day but I was busy for the 4th of July and I had a small surgery done today. The surgery went well and I'll be back to posting everyday as long as I can 😉 Leave more reviews telling me what you think of the story!

* * *

The next day was a busy one for the entire group. Everyone had spent the morning cleaning the living room, packing everything up, and moving the furniture back to the way it was. I had talked to the group about new housing arrangements and everyone agreed with what I was saying. I knew we couldn't all sleep in the same living room forever, despite how safe it made everyone feel. Even though we all wouldn't be sharing the same house, we would be right next door to each other. I was grateful Deanna gave us houses right next to each other. I had the hardest time convincing Daryl we would be fine living in separate houses. Out of everyone Daryl was having the hardest time adjusting to Alexandria.

"See ya later Rick" Abraham nodded as he closed the front door behind him. Everyone had gone next door to the other house minus Carol and Daryl who agreed to stay here. The new housing arrangement here consisted of Carol, Daryl, Carl, Judith, Michonne, and myself. Daryl wanted to stay close to Carol and little ass kicker just in case they needed his protecting.

"Well, I'm going to go for a walk and meet some of the new neighbors. Anyone want to come with me?" Carol asked with a smile on her face.

"Nah, I think imma go huntin for a while" Daryl shook his head.

"Sounds nice, I think I'll go with you" Michonne said as she held Judith in her arms. I looked over at Michonne who had a smile on her face. My eyes couldn't seem to leave Michonne's glowing face. Her smile could light up any room, she truly had the most _beautiful_ smile I had ever seen.

"Do I have something on my face?" She started laughing as she asked me. I realized I must have been staring for too long after hearing Michonne's comment. I laughed at what she said and shook my head.

"Nah, you don't have anything on your face" She walked towards me and placed Judith firmly in my arms. Judith had a smile on her face once she was safely in my arms. I kissed her on the head and rubbed my fingers over her little cheeks. She grabbed my finger and started gnawing on it.

"I'll be back later. Anyone need anything while I'm gone?" She looked around the room at everyone as she asked. Carl who was sitting on the couch shook his head at her question, continuing to read the comic book he hadn't been able to put down all day.

"You ready to go Michonne?" Carol asked as she gestured towards the front door. Michonne nodded her head and started walking towards the front door with Carol.

"Be careful out there" I said to Michonne and Carol as they walked through the door. Even though they were just going to meet the neighbors, something bad still could happen. A herd of walkers could push against the wall which could make it fall down. My thoughts suddenly weren't good ones, they were filled with _what ifs_.

"Hey dad" Carl said. "Why didn't you go with them? You look worried."

I looked down to the ground and smiled about how observant Carl was. That kid could tell when anyone was worried, especially me. I held Judith in my arms as I walked towards where Carl was on the couch. I sat down next to him, letting out a deep sigh. Judith started reaching for her brother, wanting to be held by him immediately. He got the message and laughed at Judith. He pulled her onto his lap where she finally stopped squirming. Whenever she was in Carl's arms, she managed to relax.

"I'm still unsure about this place Carl" I turned my head in his direction. He nodded his head in agreement with what I was saying.

"While you were in the infirmary I told Michonne how the people here are weak" He turned his head towards me with a blank look on his face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking in that moment. I wasn't sure if he was scared or shocked.

"Weak?" I wasn't sure why he was referring to the people here as weak or what made him think that. Did he witness something? What happened?

"I went over to Jessie's house and met her older son Ron. I also met some of his friends while I was there"

"And?" I questioned.

"And they're weak, all of them" He paused before finishing what he had to say. "Well, not all of them are weak I guess. Enid isn't weak."

"Whose Enid and why are they all weak?" Carl furrowed his eyebrows and I could tell he was thinking about what to say. I wanted to know who Enid was and what happened to make him think everyone here was weak. _Maybe he was right, maybe everyone here is weak._

"Enid is Ron's girlfriend" He sighed. "When I was hanging out with Ron and his friends all they wanted to do was play video games. They kept talking about who was the best at call of duty or who was the best at playing pool. Also, they kept talking about school which is held in someone's garage" Carl noticed Judith was starting to get squirmy which made him decide to set her down on the ground. She was the happiest when Carl was holding her or when she was able to crawl around and explore. It was nice she now had a house to crawl around in, it was safer than crawling around in the forest which she had been doing before coming to Alexandria. "They don't even know how to shoot guns, they only know how to shoot guns on video games. Well, I know Enid must know how to shoot. I saw her climb over the wall, I think she goes out into the forest to kill walkers."

"It's not safe for her to go out there alone, does she know that?" I processed all that Carl had just said to me about Ron and his friends being weak. I wonder if Jessie knew how desperately both of her sons needed to be strong in this world.

"I don't know if she does" Carl shrugged his shoulders. "I already told Michonne about all of this while you were at the infirmary."

"What did she say about all of this?" I felt happy that Carl could confront in Michonne about anything that was going on in his life. After the day Carl told me he liked Michonne and how she should stay with the group, him and Michonne had grown closer. I would always catch Carl and Michonne laughing or joking about something which made me happy. Ever since Lori had died I hadn't seen Carl become close to anyone like he had with Michonne. I was grateful for the relationship he had built with her. I really _don't_ know what I would do without her.

"She told me how Enid was brave and how everyone here wasn't weak" He had a questionable look on his face. "Then I talked about mom."

I felt surprised when Carl told me how him and Michonne had talked about Lori. I rarely heard him talk about his mom anymore. I can't even remember the last time he brought her up. "I'm glad you can talk to Michonne about these things."

"I'm glad I can too" He nodded his head at me and smiled. "I also told her she was our family now."

I saw another smile appear on his face and he spoke about Michonne being our family now. I smiled back at him, feeling grateful he had someone like Michonne to consider his family. She was a great influence on him and Judith. I couldn't ask for anyone better than her to be considered part of the family by Carl. "She is part of our family now. I don't know what we'd do without her."

* * *

"Well, they seem nice" Carol said to me as we started walking back to the house from the pantry. Carol had done most of the talking to the ladies we met at the pantry. She mostly talked about cooking and easy ways to clean any house. I just had stood there and watched. She had talked to the ladies effortlessly which made me jealous. Back before all of this started I was the type of person to talk about cooking with my friends. While I would take Andre out for playdates with my friends kids, I would often spend hours talking about cooking and cleaning with them. Or I would talk about how Andre was starting to talk and all of the funny things he would say or do. I could talk about simple things effortlessly with anyone I met. Nowadays my topics of conversation consisted of walkers, finding food, and figuring out if everyone was safe or not. I was jealous of how easily Carol was adjusting to being in Alexandria.

"They do seem nice" I smiled at her as we kept walking back towards the house.

"I'm going to try to cook the spaghetti tonight the way she suggested. Maybe it will be really good"

"Spaghetti" I said quietly and smiled to myself. The thought of Carol cooking spaghetti for everyone tonight sounded strange. The thought of eating anything but dogs or rabbit sounded strange. I felt happy at the thought of eating a normal meal again.

"What do you think of Alexandria?" She asked.

"I like it here, I think we can all make it work" I said confidently. I truly felt like everything here would work out. As long as the walls stayed up and no one got inside I didn't see why it wouldn't work. I wanted it to work, the thought of going back out on the road made me cringe.

"I like it here too" She smiled back at me. "I can't imagine what we would have done without the doctor giving Rick medical attention."

The thought of us being out on the road with Rick as sick as he was made me cringe again. I can't even think about what would have happened without him receiving medical attention. I don't want to even think about what could have happened. _Would he have died?_ "I don't want to even think about what would have happened. I can't imagine not having him around anymore, Carl and Judith would both be devastated."

"We all would be devastated" She said quietly. "I'm glad he's ok."

I quickly changed the subject, not wanting to talk about what would have happened to Rick any longer. "I'm glad you and Daryl are staying in the house with us. I think Rick will feel better having you two sleeping a few rooms down from him."

"I'm happy we're able to share the same house too. I couldn't imagine not being able to wake up and see Judith every morning" She smiled at the thought of how precious Judith was when she first woke up.

Carol and I finally arrived at the house after our long walk around Alexandria. I glanced over my shoulder at the setting sun which had turned the sky dark orange. Another beautiful sunset must have been a good sign. I opened the door to the house and walked inside to Daryl and Rick laughing.

"We're back and we brought dinner with us" Carol held up the box of pasta in her hand. Rick, Carl, and Daryl all smiled at the box of pasta Carol was holding. "Who's ready to eat?"

* * *

"Thanks again for dinner Carol, it was delicious" Carl hugged Carol and then headed upstairs for the night.

"Yeah, it was good" Daryl smirked at Carol. "The wine was better though" He held up his glass and gulped down the last of the wine.

I took another sip of wine before picking up Judith off the floor. "Time for you to go to bed" I kissed her on the head.

"Hey grimes, you want more wine?" Michonne smiled at me as she took another sip of wine.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a few minutes after I get Judith to bed" I smiled back at her and headed upstairs. Once Judith was in her bed, I pulled the blanket over her. I walked out of the room and turned off the light before closing the door behind me. Suddenly, I heard something break downstairs. I reached for my gun but then realized I didn't have it on me. _Damn._ I ran down the hallway and headed for the stairs, prepared for whatever had happened downstairs. I was expecting to see walkers in the kitchen from a possible breech in the wall. To my surprise, Michonne and Carol were both laughing as they cleaned up wine and a broken glass from the floor. "Guess it's time for me to go to bed" Carol laughed as she threw away the napkins from the wine.

"It's been a while since any of us had anything to drink" Michonne said reassuringly to Carol and she reached for her glass of wine.

"Everything ok?" I smiled at Michonne and Carol as I walked into the kitchen. Carol walked towards me laughing as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Everything is fine, it's time for me to go to bed" I watched as she started walking up the stairs. "Goodnight" I heard her laugh on her way up the rest of the stairs.

Michonne chuckled to herself as she grabbed her glass of wine and sat down on the couch. I walked towards the counter and grabbed the bottle of wine and my glass. "Need some more to drink or are you going to break a glass like Carol did?" I teased her as I sat down on the couch next to her. She elbowed me teasingly in the side.

"Yeah, I'm definitely going to break a glass like Carol did" She said sarcastically.

I let my body relax as I sat down on the couch. I let out a deep sigh, feeling relaxed for once. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt relaxed like this. _When was the last time I had wine and relaxed? Probably before the world went to shit._ I turned my head and looked at Michonne who surprisingly looked more relaxed than I was. She turned her head towards me and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why the sigh?" She asked.

"It's strange to say but I feel relaxed for once" I let out another sigh and smiled. "I can't remember the last time I was relaxed. Can you?"

"I can't remember the last time you were relaxed either, you're always so uptight" She joked.

"I can't either" I laughed at her teasing.

"It feels strange to sit on a couch and drink wine. You know?" Her lips turned up into a smile. There it was again, that _beautiful_ smile. My eyes started to wander to her lips. I was pretty sure it was the wine talking but I suddenly wanted to kiss her. Not just a peck on the lips but an actual passionate kiss. _I wonder what her lips taste like._

"Grimes, my eyes are up here" She started laughing hysterically, she definitely was feeling good from the wine.

I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling confused by what she just said. _Did she think I was checking her out?_ I started laughing hysterically with her for no reason. I wasn't sure if I was laughing at what she had just said or if I was slightly drunk. "I wasn't staring at your breasts" I laughed some more.

"Then what were you staring at, my collar bone?" Her laughing stopped and she took another sip of her drink.

"No, I was just staring at your mouth. You have the most perfect smile"

"Thank you" She now had a huge grin on her face. I could tell she was smiling extra big now that I made my comment about her _perfect_ smile. She started to raise her glass in the air and glanced at my glass. "I think we should make a toast" She suggested.

I raised my glass towards hers, our glasses slightly touching. "Let's make a toast to our new home, Alexandria" She said cheerfully with wide eyes. I had never seen her eyes get as big as they were in this moment. She must be just as drunk as I am right now.

"To Alexandria" We hit our glasses together and took a big sip of wine. I couldn't seem to get enough of the wine tonight, it tasted delicious.

"I know Alexandria will be our new home" She said reassuringly. I watched as she scooted closer to me on the couch. Before I knew it, the sides of our bodies were touching as we sit on the couch. She turned her head back towards mine at the same exact time I turned my head towards her in return. Our faces were inches apart, I could feel her hot breath on my face. Her eyes wandered down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. _Is she going to kiss me?_ "I know it" She said quietly as she rested her head down on my shoulder.

"I think it will, too" For some reason I had the urge to kiss her forehead. I placed my lips softly on her forehead, kissing her. I scooted to a more comfortable position on the couch as the side of her body was firmly against mine. I thought I started to hear her snore but I wasn't sure. I started to close my eyes, the tiredness taking over. I had one last thought come to my mind before falling asleep. _I really thought she was going to kiss me. What if she had? I'm glad she didn't, I don't even know how I feel about her. Yeah she loves my kids and has become someone very important to Carl but who is she to me. Could she be more than just a friend? Maybe. . . no. . . maybe._


End file.
